Washington topped Oregon in a stellar Pac-12 finale while fans eulogized the conference’s sad demise

The Pac-12 as we know it is no more.

The Pac-12 Conference as we’ve known it is no more after Friday’s final championship game before the latest major realignments kick in and leave the conference with just two teams.

But Oregon and Washington delivered another thriller to send the conference out on a high note with the Huskies winning, 34-31. They remain undefeated and should have a College Football Playoff spot locked up come Sunday.

Washington dominated the first half and had a 20-3 lead at one point. But the Ducks were relentless, had the lead for a little in the second half and were trailing by just a field goal thanks to a 63-yard touchdown when quarterback Bo Nix connected with receiver Traeshon Holden late in the fourth quarter. But the Huskies were able to hang on and claim the conference title.

WHAT A GAME pic.twitter.com/iN84Zq9WRN

— ESPN (@espn) December 2, 2023

It was a fun and wild game and the perfect exclamation point after an exceptional Pac-12 season — and one last great #Pac12AfterDark moment — but it was set against a somber backdrop with the conference breaking up next year.

If you need a quick reminder: Next year, Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State and Utah are going to the Big 12; and Cal and Stanford are off to the ACC. That leaves just Washington State and Oregon State in the Pac-12.

And while college football fans loved the last Pac-12 championship game for how it played out with two powerhouse teams, they also eulogized the Pac-12 and lamented its sad demise.